Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position in respect of short and long-term plans for Pobal's operation in Clifden, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36821/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Pobal (formerly Area Development Management Ltd.) was established by the Government in 1992 to access EU funding for the purpose of fostering local development, promoting social inclusion, reconciliation and equality and countering disadvantage through local social and economic development. Pobal currently manages the administration of schemes/programmes on behalf of a range of Government Departments and other public bodies. Pobal operates under the aegis of my Department and is a private company limited by guarantee. It is not a State agency and its staff are not Civil or Public Servants, nor are they encompassed by the Croke Park Agreement. My Department has no role in relation to the staffing of Pobal. All staffing and remuneration issues are a matter for the Board of Pobal.

As I understand it, Pobal was included in the Government's Decentralisation programme and 42 posts, in total, were to relocate to Clifden, Co. Galway under that programme. Pending the acquisition of a site, and the construction of a permanent building, Pobal acquired temporary office accommodation in Clifden; the office was opened in February 2006. There are currently 24 Pobal staff employed there.

On the 17 November 2011 my colleague Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin T.D. published the "Public Service Reform Plan". The plan indicated that, "in light of the budgetary and staffing outlook, the Government has also examined the current position of the Decentralisation programme which was introduced in 2003 and has decided that it should be cancelled. This will mean that 40 projects will be cancelled, 32 others - particularly those where permanent accommodation has been provided - will be left in situ and 22 others are being reviewed. The Government will be making a decision on that review shortly". The Pobal Clifden office is included in the list of 22 projects to be reviewed.